


Between Mother, Daughter and Bad Guys.

by marsmac



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Childhood, F/F, Family Drama, Family Feels, Gen, Kid Fic, Next Generation, Rescue Missions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-12
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-14 04:05:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11775126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marsmac/pseuds/marsmac
Summary: She knows what she's supposed to do in dangerous situations. They've all had talks with Mama, Mommy and Aunt Wynonna. She's supposed to batten down the hatches, hide where she can't be found and keep her siblings safe. It's been drilled into her  not to be a hero, let the adults handle it. But this is her Mom, and the adults aren't handling it, and Wesley knows it's all up to her now.





	1. Not quite a normal day.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm continuously amazed and grateful for the excellent response to my writing! I decided to try something a little different this time, it's a bit darker and it's going to be multi-chaptered so there will be a couple of cliffhangers and feels. I'll try to update this as often as possible, but I might go back to fluffy one-shots in between chapters, so bare with me while I find an appropriate update schedule! :) This is designed to put you in the mood for tonight's episode, absolutely no spoilers are ahead though! Anyways, I really hope you enjoy this, and please feel free to leave comments or criticisms on whether you prefer the fluffy light-hearted one-shots more or want me to continue delving into the more intense and longer ideas that this work has to offer.

_One minute she's there, in the forest, awaiting back-up._

If you had asked Sheriff Nicole Haught an hour or two ago, if she was having a good day, the answer would have been a resounding yes. She had an absolutely normal morning, or at least as absolutely normal as a morning can be when you have four kids, two dogs and a pet snake named Lucy. 

She had woken up earlier than she had wanted to, it being her day off (or at least it was supposed to be her day off) but it was because her children, or rather the eldest child, had made them breakfast in bed. She had gotten to perv out on her wife a little bit, the plus side to Waverly being a restless sleeper was when her wardrobe malfunctioned, while she ate french toast and relished in the fact that Wesley was feeding and entertaining the others. After breakfast, the twins took care of the dishes and Nicole got to enjoy being able to play with her three year old son.

Three games of car tower crash, four books read in character voices, and a decent sixty minutes of hide and seek later, the Earp-Haughts were ready to go out. First up was trying out the new diner on Maitland Avenue for lunch, a decent experience that left everyone happy, then an afternoon showing at the local movie theatre that left the twins and Wesley bored as hell but Wyatt absolutely enthralled, and it was looking to be a day for the record books. Nicole couldn't remember the last time one of her days off actually was a day off, let alone a day off she was able to spend with her kids during winter school break. Taking over for Nedley had been one of the best decisions Nicole could've ever made for the sake of her family, but the amount of time she spent working, and the things she missed out on, kept her aching for days where she was just Mommy.

Alas, nothing perfect lasted in Purgatory, especially not when you're the top of the law food chain. The call comes in shortly after the movie ends, Nicole excuses herself for a moment to take it, Waverly distracting the children with the idea that maybe they could go to Shorty's to see Auntie Rosita. The twins and Wyatt chirping in with excited demands that maybe she'll let them work again, even if the twins are only allowed to bring customers water and Wyatt is only allowed to pass out napkins, the kids all share their Mama's adoration for the bar she first met Mommy in.

Wesley isn't easily distracted though, she's thirteen years old and has a certain air of maturity to her, but even moreso she has a certain air of nosiness. She watches as her mother shouts into her cellphone that 'can't she get a moments peace with her kids?' and 'she thought she could trust the deputies with just _one_ day without her." She also watches her mother's tone soften before firming again and before the young redhead can wrap her head around it, her mother seems to be agreeing to come help her deputies with whatever seems to be going on.

So much for relaxing, Wesley can't help but bitterly think as Nicole hangs up the call and moves past her to the others, her mother flashing her a small sympathetic smile as the two exchange knowing glances. Wesley doesn't even need to look at her Mama to feel the disappointment radiating off of her that Mommy will have to meet them at home later. Nicole seems to be disappointed too though, but it doesn't make Wes feel any better.

She catches the eye of one of her younger sisters and motions to her mouth, a silent demand for the girl to go along with whatever happens next, and before Wesley can really stop herself from making an impulsive move, she's at the truck and hopping into the back. If there's something going on that's bad enough for Nicole to get pulled away from the first family fun day they've been able to have since Wyatt's third birthday, then clearly she's going to need some help, and Wesley knows that the doof's her mother has working for her as deputies aren't much good in normal situations, let alone hectic ones. She knows she's going to get in trouble for this, but maybe if the problem get's resolved quickly enough, they will still have the night to do fun stuff together, so she's only sneaking along to potentially save her Mama and siblings the extended heartache.

The last thing she hears before climbing into the back seat of the truck and shutting the door, is her sister telling their mothers that she had gone back into the theatre to use the washroom and Mommy responding that she's gotta go right now and for Mama to please "give her a kiss for me".

Perfect, that buys her time.

* * *

She's not having a good day anymore, that much is for sure. The forest had been completely void of police presence when she got to it, despite deputies telling her they were on route. There isn't even a sign of the missing little boy like the desperate call had indicated. It's empty, desolate and just a little unnerving. She can't shake the uneasy feeling that plagued her the moment she parked, in fact, her unease seems to grow every step she takes further and further from her car. She doesn't want to go any further, but being a good cop forces her hand, especially when she hears a shaky cry start to come from deeper in the forest. Someone needs help and as unnerved as she is, it's her job to help.

She's maybe several hundred yards into the forest, when she doesn't just hear something, but sees something too. It's only a flash at first, a dark flash of something running around the same area as she is. Almost instantly a chill goes down her spine and her voice breaks slightly with each word she forces out. "Whoever's there, be advised that I am armed!" She nearly whispers the last part, and jumps when she hears a voice respond.

"Mommy?" Nicole's heart skips a beat, and she spins on her heel to see her little girl come out from behind a couple of trees, concern and fear etched on the young girls face. She feels relief wash over her temporarily, until the next words chill her to her very bone. "Who is that..."

Her eyes follow the direction that Wesley is pointing, and as she turns slowly, an impending feeling of doom flies over her. "Wesley, baby..." Voice tremors just slightly as the shadowed figure comes to her vision, and as she takes a small step backwards, the figure steps forward and she knows the two of them are both in a lot of trouble. As it steps into the light, she hears a gasp from behind her and Nicole jumps into mother mode. "Run!"

Nicole is the first to start running, Wesley stuck in fear staring at something that she doesn't quite believe she's actually seeing.

Her mother leaps over a fallen log just feet before Wesley and commands her again to "Run!" This time, Wesley snaps back to reality as her arm is roughly grabbed and she gets dragged along beside her mother. She can hear the creature, or something, moving just as fast behind them, twigs snapping under their feet and under it's feet, leaves crunching and the sound of her own wheezy breathe has Wesley trying to run faster still. Her mom's grip on her is painful, but she doesn't even feel her hand digging into her arm, all she can feel is her heart beating as the two of them run.

Suddenly Wesley can no longer feel the firm grip on her arm, and she stumbles slightly as she's shoved forward desperately, her Mother screaming in her ear. "Don't stop! Keep going!" Her legs feel like they're going to fall off but she doesn't stop, the sound of her Mom's breathing heavy behind her, and Wes knows that they have to make it back to the truck, that's the only way they'll be safe. Mommy has extra guns in the car, there's locks on the door, they can drive away from here a lot better than they can run, as long as they make it back to the truck, they'll be okay.

She can start to see the road through the trees and she feels like everything is going to be okay, when a root connects with her foot and she falls forward, slamming her body into the ground. Pain erupts from her ankle, and she can see blood start to pour from the knees she's skinned. There is no way she'll be able to run, let alone outrun that thing. It's okay though, because Mom is just behind her, and she'll grab her and save her and- 

Wesley can't hear her mother anymore.

The loud laboured breathing of her mother behind her has stopped. The sounds of twigs and leaves breaking under their feet is no more. In fact, not a sound echoes throughout the forest of anything at all. She can't hear anything, no birds, no animals, not even wind in the trees.

She's all alone too. There's no sign of Mommy, or of the creature. She's alone, on the ground, in the eerily quiet forest, and she's lost her mother.

_The next minute, she's gone._


	2. And the night closes in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! The outcome for this has been absolutely fantastic, thank you all so much for all the kudos and comments and bookmarks. I really appreciate when people take the time to read and critique. :) Sorry I ran late on updating, it's been a long week, especially after Friday's episode. No spoilers, but who else squealed hysterically over the WayHaught? Without further ado, I present the second part of this story!

"Help me, please! Somebody!" Her voice is desperate and shrill. She doesn't know how long the truck will still be a safe place to hide, especially now that the smell of blood is all over it. Her arm is scratched to hell and she feels slightly dizzy, the blood loss evident, and she's starting to think that maybe she should've kept running instead of stopping at the truck. It had been locked, the windows all rolled up, and in a fit of desperation Wesley had used a big rock to break her way in. She had shoved her arm into the broken window to unlock the truck and a jagged piece of glass had slashed her to pieces. "Aunt Wynonna! Uncle Jeremy! Anybody..." It's a beg now, she needs medical help.

She tries the radio again, noticing a crackle coming over the otherwise quiet machine, a small static sound, something that signifies someone is listening in to her desperate broadcast over the Purgatory PD radio waves. "This is Wesley Earp-Haught, daughter of Sheriff Nicole Haught." She grimaces as her arm throbs before waiting for a return. Nobody responds for a minute or two and she whimpers slightly before picking up the radio again, trying to call out again. "There's something in the forest... It took my Mom. I don't- I..."

Wesley chokes on her next words, tears springing to her eyes and it takes her a minute to continue. "I don't know if she's okay, or- or alive..." The thirteen year old wipes at her eyes ferociously before a sound outside of the truck has her nearly jumping out of her seat in fear. She shakes slightly as she glances around the truck windows, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever is after her. "I think it's coming after me... Somebody please... I'm scared, I'm all alone and I'm only thirteen!" Another loud sound goes off just behind her, and she drops the radio. Seconds later, something hits the side of the truck with enough force to start tipping it, Wesley starting to scream hysterically as the creature outside tries to crush the truck. 

Wesley manages to crawl her way out of the driver's side window as the truck rolls over onto it's top, and she lets out a shriek as she manages to get to her feet and start running. Her lungs burn from the screaming, the knee stings from her fall earlier and her arm feels like it's going numb, but she doesn't stop running. It's safe to say that her fear has reached a healthy level of panic, and she bounds over branch and around tree stump in order to keep running, though she can feel herself slowing down. She can't run anymore, she's tired and she's hurt and she just wants her Mommy back.

When her legs finally give in on her, she goes limp and curls into a ball the second she hits the ground, she tucks her knees underneath her and she starts shaking slightly, tears falling freely as she screams her throat raw. Her voice breaks into a blood curdling shriek as something grabs a hold of her, and the last thing she thinks of is that she should never have snuck off to help her Mommy. Maybe if Mom hadn't been so worried about her, she would've been fine, she would've been able to outrun whatever this is. It's all her fault that it got her, and if it gets Wesley, at least she'll be with her Mommy.

* * *

Waverly rushes into the police station in a flurried panic, her heart racing as she scours the crowd for any sign of her. There's so many officers, way more than usual, and a lot of them don't look like they belong in Purgatory, in fact.. she's pretty sure in the entire room, she recognizes all of about four people. None of this actually reassures her though, back-up means something serious has happened, and why on earth is her baby nowhere to be found?!

The older woman just barely opens her mouth to start screaming for Wesley when a familiar voice calls out to her. "Waverly!" She freezes and spins on her toe, both amazed and concerned about what brought Nedley out of his retirement, into uniform and commanding the charge after years of entrusting the department to Nicole. It's his next words that have her abandoning that thought entirely and only able to focus on one solid thought. "She's in here!" Her baby is okay.

She rounds the corner and all but charges into ~~Nedley's~~ Nicole's office. She comes face to face with her eldest child, bandaged in multiple places, and her breathe catches painfully. The Earp-Haught women stare for just a second before Wesley bursts into tears and collapses into her mother's arms, Waverly wrapping her arms tightly around her and trying to keep herself from crying. She holds her daughter close to her chest, and strokes her hair away from her face, consistently whispering about how the young girl is safe now and it's going to be okay. 

Wes doesn't stop crying though, she knows what happened in the forest, know what Papa Nedley is about to say to her Mama, and only cries harder because she knows that Mama is going to be really upset. "Ma-maaaamaaa.... I'm s-sorrry!!" She whimpers between tears. She's been pretty much shaken up ever since her Grandfather found her, and hasn't been able to snap out of it no matter who's been there to help her. Even with Uncle Jeremy bandaging her up, she hasn't been able to stop herself from crying. She feels weak and useless, she was supposed to help her Mom, but instead she made things worse.

Papa pulls her Mama aside, and Wesley knows that he's explaining how he heard her over the police radio crying out for help, and that he rushed there immediately to get her. She knows he's telling Mama that the truck was absolutely trashed, and that Wesley looked like a hysterical mess. She knows he's telling her that the moment he grabbed her, Wesley started shrieking and hitting him, clearly traumatized by whatever happened, and as she hears her mother's shocked yell of "No!", she knows he's told her that Nicole is missing.

The moment that Waverly starts yelling at Nedley about what happened, Jeremy pulls Wesley onto his lap. Despite the fact that she is way too old to sit on her Uncle's lap, she curls into him gratefully, and he tries to distract her from the pained cries her Mama is making. She can't help but feel like it's all her fault, and she winces as she catches some of the anger her Mama is giving her Grandfather. Jeremy just holds her though and promises her that everyone is going to be looking for Nicole, and not to worry, the best people are on the case. As she sees the same two officers that her and Mother were supposed to meet in the forest, something seems very very wrong and the next thing Wesley knows, she's back to being cradled in her Mama's arms, as everyone talks around her.

* * *

The rest of the night goes by in a blur for Wesley, she's not focusing, and she can only remember bits and pieces of what happens after they leave the Purgatory Police Station. She remembers that Papa Nedley carried her to his cruiser, and drove both her and Mama home. She can't remember what her Mama and Grandfather talked about during the drive, only that they were talking very quietly and kept looking back at her. She remembers that Auntie Rosita was at home with her siblings, and that Mama guided her up to her bed, but she can't remember anything else from the rest of the evening. Not what she ate for dinner (or if she even ate dinner), not how she managed to get in her pajamas, she doesn't even remember if Mama tucked her in for bed. She hasn't been treated like such a young child since Wyatt was born, and she wants to think it's nice to be spoiled like that, but she knows why she's being handled with kid gloves, and it only furthers her anxiety.

"Wes... Are you sleeping?" Comes a voice from out in the hallway, her door opening just a crack to reveal two figures shadowed by the light from the bathroom.

A second voice sounds out, almost identical to the first with just a tad bit of annoyance in it. "Of course she's sleeping, don't be silly Wick!"

"Actually... I'm not." The young girl whispers softly, turning towards her sisters. She glances at them and gestures for them to come in, sitting up in her bed and patting beside her for them to come sit with her. "Come on in..." Her younger sisters run forward, and they both swarm her bed, diving into the bed beside her. They rest on her and sigh softly, before looking up at her with concern etched on their tiny faces. Wesley immediately feels an air of protection fall over her, and she tucks her blanket around them as well, closing them all in her bed.

"Is Mommy really missing?" Wicklan pipes up, earning an elbow to the side and a dark glare from her twin sister.

"Mama told us that something bad happened to Mommy, and you saw it." Whitney explains softly, turning her head towards her older sister, and cuddling Wesley between her and Wicklan. A sandwich of little sisters, protection and comfort for not just Wes, but also her and Wick. The girls have always been pretty close, but bad times only seem to make them closer, and for the first time that night, Wesley actually feels kind of safe squished between her younger sisters. "She said not to bother you, but... we had to see you. We wanted to see if you were okay, and if it was true."

Wes nods her head slowly, turning away from her sisters so they don't see her getting upset. She doesn't know how to tell them that Mommy is gone and she didn't do anything to help her. She's always been the one they can turn to for help, the one that knows how to make things better. Someone is bullying them on the playground, get Wesley, she'll put them in their place. Trouble with homework, Wes knows what the answer is! Mommy or Mama get mad over the twins misbehaving? Wesley knows how to make them happy again. She's been fixing things since the twins were babies, she's a problem solver, and here's a huge problem and she can't even look at them because she knows she doesn't know how to fix it now.

"Aunt Wynonna is gonna find her, Wes." Whitney reassures, trying to distract from the fact that Wes is so upset over what happened earlier that day. "I overheard her and Mama..." She reaches her hand over to find Wesley's and holds it, squeezing it just slightly for comfort, Wicklan doing the same thing with the other hand. "She said she's going to make sure nothing else bad happens."

Wesley just hangs her head slightly, shrugging her shoulders. "I hope she can... Otherwise I will have to."


End file.
